Kansas holds first all mail-in Democratic primary
Kansas switched to universal mail-in voting for today’s Democratic primary as it combats the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Marked by particularly high voter turnout due in part to the ease of remote participation, today’s election takes place amidst a national call for mail-in voting in the event of a COVID-19 resurgence this northern fall, though there is uncertainty about the feasibility.
An operational United States Postal Service (USPS) would be necessary should mail-in votes become the norm this November. Barring billions in federal funding, the USPS—which is haemorrhaging money because of the pandemic—is likely to be broke by the end of the summer. Given seemingly bilateral support for the organisation on Capitol Hill, it appears that the White House is the main impediment to greater USPS funding.
Whether or not the November elections will be largely mail-in remains uncertain due to the opaque trajectory of the pandemic in the medium term. Still, expect the option to receive possibly crippling opposition from the Republican-controlled Senate and the White House. The Republican Party projects that low voter turnout will enhance its prospects for retaining the executive and the Senate.
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